1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a multi-shot component and to a method for manufacturing a multi-shot interior trim panel that forms an inflatable restraint door integrated with the trim panel.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known in the art that inflatable restraints, which are commonly referred to as “airbags,” have been included in automotive vehicles to reduce the potential for occupant injury during an accident situation. It is also known in the art that the design of automotive interior trim panels, such as, for example, instrument panels, have included pre-weakened areas, chute portions, and the like relative a mounting location of the inflatable restraint.
When including an inflatable restraint behind an instrument panel, conventional instrument panel assemblies have often included one or more layers in a multi-layer structure that included, for example, a rigid substrate layer, an intermediate foam layer, and a skin layer. One or more of these layers may be pre-weakened and include a reinforcing scrim, steel plate, or the like disposed there-between to define an inflatable restraint door integrated with the instrument panel that permits passage of the inflatable restraint there-through when the inflatable restraint is inflatably-expanded into the passenger compartment area on the opposite side of the instrument panel.
Due to competitive design standards in the automotive industry, customer demand has resulted in the expectation that interior trim panels, such as, for example, instrument panels, have a seamless inflatable restraint door (i.e. the instrument panel appears to have a continuous surface without any parting lines to visibly-locate and identify an inflatable restraint door). To achieve this design, it is known in the art that conventional interior trim panels include pre-weakened tear seams or strips that are formed in the outboard surface of the interior trim panel.
In addition to these design expectations, global competitive forces demand that material and manufacturing costs are reduced to provide a supplier and manufacturer with a profit. As such, a need currently exists to provide an interior trim panel that is reduced in components and manufacturing/design complexity while also maintaining, if not improving, overall performance of the interior trim panel.